Power Struggle
POWER STRUGGLE is a compelling story that gives audiences hope that grassroots activism can be effective at bringing about positive social change in the world.
Filmed over five years, this feature-length documentary portrays the heated political battle to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, located on the banks of the Connecticut River in southern Vermont.
POWER STRUGGLE follows the unfolding drama as citizen activists and elected state officials—alarmed at increasing safety violations—take on the federal government and one of the biggest power companies in the United States and eventually win.
The film captures perspectives on all sides of the controversy, including from local residents both for and against nuclear power, elected officials (including U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin), nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen, a Vermont Yankee spokesperson, federal nuclear regulators, and the legendary activist Frances Crowe.
POWER STRUGGLE puts nuclear power and the long-term hazards of radioactive waste on the radar screen for current debates about environmental protection and the ethical impact of technology on our society. It is one of the only films that links nuclear power and the climate justice movement.